Combined case and rack for games



Feb. 19,1924." 1,484,472 M. M. COWEN COMBINED CASE AND BACK FOR GAMES Filed March 29. 1923 A TTORNE Y J NV EN TOR.

Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES MIRIAM I. COWEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINED CASE AND BACK FOB GAMES.

Application filed March 29, 1923. Serial No. 828,447.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MmrAMM. COWEN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combined Cases and Racks for Games, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object a rack for holdinr tiles, counters, dominoes or the like and which are employed during the playing of the game, in combination with a compartment wherein the said counters and tiles may be suitably kept or at other times be transported therein.

A further object is such a rack and case of external contour as will combine with a plurality of similar devices to form a compact and single package containing all of the essential paraphernalia of the game for which they are adapted.

A further object is a combined rack and easing of such sectional contour that four of said racks and casings will combine in a sin le ackage symmetrically about a lon tud mal center to form a rectangular pac age in which is assembled all of the essential paraphernalia of the game.

My invention is particularly adapted to the ame known as 'Mah-J ongg and to which the following description of m invention is applied as an illustration an wherein the game is usually played by four players, each of whom must keep before him and exposed to his view anumber of tiles bearing various identifications. It is therefore advantageous to employ a rack facing each layer on which rack said tiles may be distributed, and the rack of my invention meets this requirement.

It is also necessary during the play for the player to reject from his hand certain of the tiles which will form certain combinations and my rack is provided with a space on which these combinations maybe displayed by the player and as formed.

Counters are employed during the progress of the game and my combined rack provides a space in which these may be readily maintained.

It is advantageous in counting the score to employ a table of the various scoring counts-or values and this is provided in the device of my invention in the most convenient position.

The device of my invention also provides a space in which a plurality of the tiles may be kept when not in use or may be emptied therefrom as desired without at the same time emptying the counters from their adjacent compartment and my device also meets this object.

Other objects will appear from the drawlugs and specifications which follow.

These objects I attain by constructing a double rack member having a substantially constant longitudinal cross section and of suitable length and dimensions for holding the tiles which are at any time, during the progress of the game, in the pomession of the player, and this rack member is mounted in hinged relation over a shallow double compartment box, which also forms a convenient base for the said rack and whose compartments are arranged for holding the tiles and counters.

The external surfaces of the combined rack and box are of suchconfiguration that four (or any other number desired) of said devices will fittogether to form a sin 1e four-piece package within which all of ills essential tiles, counters, racks and score counters are assembled in a minimum space.

By referring to the accompanying drawing my invention will be made clear.

Figure 1 is a cross section through my combined rack and easing.

Fig. 2 is a perspective end view of four of said devices assembled in a complete single package, the distant portion of said pac lmge being broken away.

Throughout the figures similar numerals refer to identical parts.

An u standing wall or partition of substantial y wedge shape is shown by the numeral 1, having a tile receiving surface 2 and at right angles thereto a foot strip 3; the surface 2 and foot strip 3 form the portions against which the tiles rest and which the player now has before him for the purpose of playing the game and forming the possible game combinations.

At 4 is a channel way for receiving the tiles which the player builds up from his hand. At 5 is a hinge and at 6 a lock or fastening device to hold the rack member to the box member 7. At 8 is shown a receptacle for counters which are used between the players when the rack is emptied of tiles; that is, after each hand has been played. This compartment 8 I prefer to cover with a slide 9 on the u per surface 10 on which I place the instructions and counting score and which is readily accessible to and in plain sight of the player when it is slid out from under the rack member or when the rack member is lifted. At 10 is a compartment for receiving the tiles, dominoes or the like employed in the playing of the game. At 11 is an up-standin ridge preferably of dovetail shape ada te to combine with a dovetail channe in another rack base member.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will now be seen that the four combined rack and base members may be assembled as shown in Fig. 2 with all of the tiles of the game acked in the four compartments as 8, and t us the combined rack and box of my invention enables the game to be kept in a com act package which may be readily disassem led to form the essential paraphernalia of the game consisting of racks, counters, score board, etc.

I claim:

1. In combination with a box for holding gamin tiles, a top member having a rack for ti es and formed of a back receiving and a foot receiving surface and a tile receiving channel to the rear of said rack and a portion of said top member formed as a complement to a ortion of said box, said portions positione at right angles to each other.

2. In combination with a box for holdin gaming tiles, a top member having a me for tiles and formed of a back receiving and a foot receiving surface and a tile receiving channel to the rear of said rack, and a tally stri adapted to slide longitudinally between t e box and the member.

3. In combination with a box for holdin aming tiles. a top member having a NICE or tiles and formed of a back receiving and a foot receiving surface and a tile receiving channel to the rear of said rack and a. ta ly strip adapted to slide longitudinally between the box and the member and said top member having hinge and fastening means to said box.

4. In combination with a box for holdin gaming tiles, a top member having a rack or tiles and formed of a back receiving and a foot receiving surface and a tile receiving channel to the rear of said rack and a tally strip adapted to slide longitudinally between the box and the member and said top member having hinge and fastening means to said box, and a portion of said top member formed as a complement to a ortion of said box and positioned at right angles thereto.

5. In combination with a box for holdin gamin tiles, a top member having a me or ti es and formed of a back receiving and" a foot receivin surface and a tile receiving channel to t e rear of said rack and a portion of said top member formed as a complement to a portion of said box, said portions (positioned at right angles to each other an whereby four of said devices are ada ted to fit together to form an integral pac age.

6. In combination with a box for holdin gaming tiles, a top member having a me or tiles and formed of a back receiving and a foot receiving surface and a tile receivinf 1 channel to the rear of said rack and a ta y stri between t e box and the member and said top member having hinge and fastening means to said box, and a portion of said top member formed as a complement to a portion of said box and positioned at rxghi angles thereto, whereby four of said devices are adapted to fit together to form an in tegl'ral package.

A ame box comprising four combined box an top members as set forth in claim 1 and assembled and complementing each other and at right angles to each other.

8. A game box comprising four combined box and top members as set forth in claim 4 and assembled and complementing each other and at right an les to each other.

MI'R AM M. COWEN.

adapted to slide longitudinally 

